Stephen Hawking was one of the world's most remarkable thinkers - a brilliant theoretical physicist who, throughout his extraordinary career, expanded our understanding of the origins and structure of the universe and unravelled some of its greatest mysteries. But even more remarkable is that none of this should have been possible: an earth-shattering diagnosis at 21 years of age predicted that Hawking only had two years to live, not long enough to complete his PhD.

In this vividly written and exhaustively researched first major biography of Hawking, Costa Award-winning biographer and science writer Graham Farmelo explores how the young Stephen - desperate for his voice to be heard - defied the odds to become the most famous and revered scientist of his generation. It reveals the man behind the theories - the political activist, the enthusiastic traveller, the reveller, the husband, the father, the disability advocate, the bestselling author, the international celebrity - who, even as motor neurone disease robbed him of his speech and mobility, continued to pursue his ambition of 'a complete understanding of the universe'.

Stephen Hawking defied all medical expectations and lived for 76 years. Hawking is the definitive portrait of this unique man and exceptional intellect.